Is Killzone Mercenary the Portable Shooter We Deserve?

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Handheld sequel making a valiant effort to create the definitive FPS on the go.

By Marty Sliva

Two simple facts about Killzone Mercenary must be stated before diving into this preview. First and foremost, it's quite possibly the best looking handheld game I've ever played. Guerilla Cambridge has managed to somehow replicate the visual and audio fidelity of the PS3 installment on the Vita. And second, Mercenary is already leagues better than previous high-profile Vita shooters like Resistance: Burning Skies and Call of Duty Black Ops: Declassified.

The mission I got to play involved infiltrating an open-air enemy fortress precariously built along the side of a mountain. As I stealthily made my way through the compound, I was accompanied by a child companion who provided a nice dose of Short Round-esque levity to the situation. Guerilla promises that the story delves into the gray areas of soldiers of fortune, but I certainly didn't get any of that from the chapter I played.

Story aside, I loved the freedom Killzone gave me to take out my adversaries as I saw fit. If I remained patient and stalked through the shadows, I could clear an area using only my knife. If things got a bit hairy, I could find a safe outcropping and use a sniper rifle to dispatch my foes. And once I built up enough adrenaline, I could unleash a special attack that provided me with a slew of homing missiles to make quick work an entire squad. While the shooting mechanics felt good most of the time, the combat weakened just a bit when things got hectic. The Vita's analog nubs just don't have the same accurate response as the PS3's DualShock sticks.

Mercenary wisely uses its titular conceit to encourage stealth kills and precise shots by rewarding you with money that can be used to deck out your character and his equipment. This pool is shared in both single and multiplayer, and it's great to know that you're building up your experience no matter which mode you play. It’s a smart leveling system that needs to become a standard across the entire genre.

Worst. Hall Monitor. Ever.

But despite how great Killzone looks and sounds, I'm still not entirely convinced that I want to experience a robust FPS on a handheld. Gamers take for granted the amount of physical dexterity that most shooters require, as playing on a larger controller never results in any problems. But after spending about an hour with Killzone on the Vita, I left the demo with my hands and fingers absolutely aching. Though the design of Sony's handheld is certainly sleek, it doesn't cater to the placement of fingers while playing a physically demanding game like Killzone.

The time I spent with Mercenary also left me a bit worried about the length of each campaign mission. It took me the better part of an hour to complete a single chapter, and a representative from Guerilla told me that each of the nine levels are about the same length. This seems to go against the bite-sized nature of many of my all-time favorite portable games.

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After spending about an hour with Killzone on the Vita, I left the demo with my hands and fingers absolutely aching.

Over the past year, my Vita has pretty much become a device for indie games that can be played in small doses. Between fantastic experiences like Sound Shapes, Guacamelee, and Thomas Was Alone, it seems like many developers have realized the types of games that work on the go. Obviously you can pause your Vita while playing Mercenary and continue the mission later, but it seems like there needs to be a sweet spot between Black Ops: Declassified's minute-long missions and Mercenary's extended levels. But despite my reservations about transplanting an FPS onto a portable, Killzone's fantastic visuals and smart action make a great case for it being the portable shooter to beat.